Sealing ring for centrifugal devices



' Sept. 20, 1949.

R. D. ACTON 2,482,570

SEALING RING FOR CENTRIFUGAL DEVICES Filed April 23, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l R. D. ACTON SEALING RING FOR CENTRIFUGAL DEVICES Sept'. 20, 1949.

Filec'. April 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 tion 25 of the lower casing member 2|. A plurality of slots 29 are formed around the periphery of the clamping member 26, said slots extendign entirely through said member. The slots form a substantially continuous annular opening, only such bridging portions remaining as are necessary to provide suflicient strength for clamping the two casing members 20 and 2| to-.

gether and to withstand the centrifugal force developed during operation.

It will be noted that the parts described up to this point are the same in all the modifications and bear the same reference characters.

In Figures 1 and 2 a sealing ring structurev is illustrated in which a flat annular sheet metal ring 30 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced spacing disks or buttons 3|.

Said buttons are adapted to engage the adjacent edges, or opposed faces 20' and 2| respectively of the casing members 20 and 2| and space said faces apart to provide in this instance a pair of narrow annular openings 29', said openings or outlets in turn connect with the substantially continuous annular discharge opening formed by the slots29 in the clamping ring 26.

:movementin an axial direction with respect to the axis of rotation. As illustrated, the sealin ring 32 is further provided with a metal insert inthe form of a metallic closed ring 34. Said ring may be free within the resilient material of the sealing ring, whereby said resilient material may be replaced or the ring may be cemented or withthe annular member 30 or may be free from said member.

It will be noted that the webs 24 which center the separating disks are providedwith slots which closely lit the outer periphery of they ring 32 when saidring is in its non-sealin position. This support acts to stabilize and hold the ring against axial movement and in a concentric po-..

sition with respect to the axis of rotation. As illustrated by dotted lines in Figure 2, when the centrifugal bowl reaches a predetermined speed of rotation, the resilient material stretches due to centrifugal force thereof and moves radially rection, a certain force being required to enlarge 4 vulcanized within the resilient materiaL' Like-"' wise the ring 34 may be secured to or integrally outwardly into sealing position. A portion of the resistance to sealing is in a circumferential di- 4 the upper corrugations and engages the lower casing member 2| only at the contact points 38 of the corrugations, a substantially free and unobstructed annular opening is provided for the escape of liquid from the bowl structure when the seal is released.

The structure 36 within the bowl is provided with a substantially flat annular portin 31' from which a plurality of oppositely directed spring fingers 38" extend. Said spring fingers are embodied in a sealing ring structure 39 which is shaped to correspond to the inside sloping surfaces'of the casing members 20 and 2|. The notches 34 of the webs 24 engage the inner surface of the sealin ring structure 39 when said ring is in inoperative position as illustrated. The resiliency of the material in the ring structure 39 and the resiliency of the spring fingers 38 are so proportioned that upon a predetermined speed said ring structure moves into the dottedline position, whereby portions of the bowl structure on opposite sides of the outlet between the members 20 and 2| are engaged to provide a positive seal. Likewise at a predetermined speed the sealing ring structure 39 releases to provide for the escape of liquid from the bowl structure. In this modification positive means are providedfor holding the sealing ring structure against movement in an axial and radial direction and also for holding it in concentric relation, while at the same time providing in a controlled manner for seating of portions of the ring structures to provide a seal In this modification the resistance to stretch of the resilient materialin a circumferential direction is augmented by the stretching of the material in a radial outward direction and is also controlled by the resiliency of the spring fingers 38. The resiliency of the metal material will change very little with aging and in this respect provides a more dependable seal than a sealing structure in which the resiliency of the elastic material is alone relied upon.

In the modificationof Figure 6 a metal supporting ring 40 carries a plurality of radiallyand outwardly extending pins 4| which are clamped between the opposed faces of the upper casing member 20 and the lower casing member 2| to provide a substantially annular outlet opening. A ring 42 of resilient material has a peripheral recess 43' which sits on the inner surface of the ring 40 and may be cemented or vulcanized to said ring if desired. The inner surtface of the ring 42'fits in recesses 34 of the webs 24 to further hold the ring against displacement when it is in non-sealing position as illustrated. The ring 42 is of such material that at a predetermined speed sufiicient'stretch is obtained in a circumstretch required to move each individual sector of the-ring in a radial direction. This method .of control makes it possible to construct a ring which can be accurately controlled to seat at a.

predetermined speed of rotation of the bowl .structure and to likewise release at a predeter-" mined speed when it is desired to .empty the contents of the bowl and to discharge washing liquid from the bowl through the annular outlets.

In the modification shown in Figure 4', the opposed faces 20' and 2| of the casing members are spaced apart by a corrugated annular sheet metal structure 36. As said member engages the upper ferential direction and in radial outward directions at each side of the ring 48 to engage portions of the upper casing member 20 and the lower casing member 2| to providean effective and positive seal to prevent the escape of liquid from the bowl structure at speeds above this predetermined speed. Likewise the resiliency of the material is such that the ring will contract and provide for the escape of liquid from the bowl structure at speeds below the predetermined sealing speed.

In the modifications shown in Figures 6 and? a' simple supporting structure is provided by means of which the sealin ring is maintained in concentric position thereby adding to the stability ofv the bowl. It is also possible to accurately casing member only at the contact points of determine the speed at which such a ring will seat and to assure substantial instantaneous sealing and insulating of all portions of the ring.

Figures 8, 9, and 11 show two modifications in which the ring structure consists entirely of resilient material. In Figures 8 and 9 a resilient ring 44 circular in cross-section is provided with a plurality of oppositely directed lugs or projections 45 which are sloped and shaped to fit the sloping inside walls of the casing members and 2|. The opposed faces 20' and 2| of the casing members 20 and 2| are spaced apart by a plurality of headed pins 460. In the non-sealing position illustrated in Figure 8 the lugs act in addition to the inherent resiliency of the ring 44 to bridge across the outlet opening between the two casing members, thereby stabilizing the ring in an axial direction. When at the predetermined speed for which the spring 44 is designed to seat, it is necessary first to overcome the circumferential resistance to stretching of the ring and second to overcome the bridging provided by the lugs 45 which are closely spaced along the ring 44. When such a force is brought about by rotation, the ring moves outwardly with all portions seating at substantially the same time and with the ring maintaining its concentric position within very close limits. It will be noted that between the lugs 45 there is a portion 46 which is uninterrupted whereby good sealing surfaces are provided for contacting the terminating edges of the inner faces of the casing members 20 and 2|.

The modification of Figures 10 and 11, while somewhat similar to that shown in Figure 8, shows supporting lugs 41 formed on the casin member 20 and lugs 48 formed on the casing member 2|. Said lugs are spaced apart to engage a sealing ring 49 and along with the notches 35 in the webs 24 hold the ring 44 securely against displacement until a centrifugal force is brought about sufliciently to push each section of the rubber ring radially outwardly between the bridge lugs 41 and 48. It will be noted that the upper casing member 20 is formed with a sealing surface 59 adjacent the termination of the inner surface of the wall and that the lower casing member 2| is provided with a smooth sealing surface 5| adjacent the termination of its inner sloping surface. These sealing surfaces 50 and 5| are provided to abut the surface of the sealing ring 49 to provide a satisfactory liquid type seal.

It will be understood that applicant has shown a number of modifications to illustrate different means by which his improved sealing ring structure may be utilized to effectively provided a releasable seal for a peripheral opening in a centrifugal device. It is understood that all ring structures provide stabilizing supports to maintain the sealing ring in concentric relation and to hold it against uneven and undesired movements in radial or axial directions with respect to the axis of rotation of the centrifugal devices which fall within the scope of the appended claims and are contemplated as portions of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A centrifugal sealing ring structure com prising an annular metal ring adapted to be supported adjacent to and inwardly from an annular outlet, means connected to said ring for rigidly supporting the same in a fixed position with respect to the outlet, and a resilient expansible member carried by said ring, said expansible member being substantially co-extensive with the annular outlet and constructed and arranged to move radially outwardly from the rigid ring in response to centrifugal force during rotation of the sealing ring thereby engaging and sealing the outlet.

2. A centrifugal sealing ring structure adapted to be positioned adjacent to and inwardly from an annular outlet formed by the opposed faces of a pair of rotatable members comprising an annular sheet metal support, said metal support having an annular peripheral edge portion adapted to be connected between the opposed faces of the rotatable members whereby the sheet metal support is fixedly held with respect to the annular outlet, and an annular resilient expansible member carried by said sheet metal support in spaced and co-extensive relation from the annular outlet, said expansible member being constructed and arranged to move radially outwardly from the annular sheet metal support in response to centrifugal force during rotation of the ring structure thereby engaging and sealing the annular outlet.

3. A centrifugal sealing ring structure adapted to be positioned adjacent to and inwardly from an annular outlet formed by the opposed faces of a pair of rotatable members comprising an annular sheet metal support, said support projecting into the annular opening and being adapted to be connected between the opposed faces of the members whereby the sheet metal support is fixedly held with respect to the annular outlet, and an annular resilient expansible member carried by the sheet metal support in spaced and coextensive relation from the annular outlet, said expansible member being arranged and constructed to move radially outwardly from the annular sheet metal support in response to centrifugal force during rotation of the sealing ring structure thereby engaging and sealing the annular outlet.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the annular sheet met-a1 support includes an annular corrugated peripheral edge adapted to be positioned between the opposed faces of the rotatable members.

5. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the annular sheet metal support is a flat annular ring having spacing buttons on opposite sides of the ring, the spacing buttons being adapted to be positioned between the opposed faces of the rotatable members.

6. A device as set forth in claim 3 in which the annular sheet metal support includes a ring having a plurality of spacing elements extending radially outwardly and being adapted for connection between the opposed faces of the rotatable members.

RUSSEL D. ACTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 529,662 Naylor' Nov. 20, 1894 2,173,579 Fawcett Sept. 19, 1939 2,173,580 Fawcett Sept. 19, 1939 2,427,779 Haines et al. Sept. 23, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,115 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1912 45,039 Denmark Dec. 14, 1931 576.524 German: May 11, 1933 

